A firefighter criminal will return to work

Photo taken from Facebook
Kristian Fortin-Chartier will be able to resume his work after five months in prison.

David Prince

Sunday, February 4, 2018 01:00

UPDATE
Sunday, February 4, 2018 01:00

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VAL-D’OR | A firefighter who has hard punches and kicks on a victim at the point of the inerting shall continue to exercise their profession, to the great dismay of his chief.

A referee’s job just decide that the aggravated assault perpetrated by the fireman of the Val-d’or Kristian Fortin-Chartier, outside of work hours, does not prevent to be a fireman and do not harm the reputation of the fire department.

On November 23, 2012, Mr. Fortin-Chartier, 27, who is a fireman part-time for a year at Val-d’or, out at the Bar in the sport with his brother to celebrate the announcement of his future paternity.

Violent fight

During the evening, the two brothers have been involved in a violent fight with an employee of the institution.

Although it is the latter who has initiated the combat, he received one hell of a beating to the point of suffering a brain injury, a pulmonary embolism, and meningitis. Three years after the events, he still had memory loss.

“The condition of the patient demonstrates beyond any reasonable doubt that there has been excessive violence, and hard on a person who has become unable to defend themselves,” says the judge.

Kristian Fortin-Chartier and his brother have been convicted of aggravated assault in 2015. The fireman had to do five months in prison.

After this condemnation, the City of Val-d’or fired Kristian Fortin-Chartier, saying that his gesture did not fit the mission of the fire department, which is to save lives.

Decision reversed

But on the 26th of January, an arbitration tribunal has reversed the decision and ordered the fire department to reinstate Mr. Fortin-Chartier in the next two weeks.

“It has departed to the primary mission of the firefighter is to save lives. It is incompatible with his employment. A judge orders us to return and we will comply with the decision. But neither the human resources nor the fire department or the city council are comfortable with it, ” said the chief of the fire department of Val-d’or, Jean-Pierre Tenhave.

Prosecutors could appeal the decision. The City argued that the violent actions of Kristian Fortin-Chartier had a negative impact on the image of the fire department of Val-d’or.

However, the arbitrator Denis Nadeau states that there is no evidence of harm to the reputation of the City.

Informed by The Newspaper that he will be able to resume his career as a firefighter, Kristian Fortin-Chartier said that he was very happy.

“It is my dream to be a firefighter. It is a passion for me, ” he stated.